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Together in life and death

Dracut man's parents found in Boston home

By John Collins, jcollins@lowellsun.com

Updated:
03/30/2013 07:00:51 AM EDT

Married for 60 years, Paul and Theresa Vergakes, formerly of Dracut, were both found dead in their Boston apartment on March 16. He was his wife's caretaker for many years as she suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Both were 86 years old. COURTESY PHOTO

DRACUT -- Standing outside the door of his parents' Boston apartment on the morning of Saturday, March 16, Paul Vergakes Jr., of Dracut, could hear sounds coming from the TV set in the living room that his father watched frequently.

Whatever the reason 86-year-old Paul Vergakes Sr., a former North Reading selectman and Navy veteran of the Korean War, wasn't responding to his son's increasingly loud pounding on the door, Paul Jr. realized, it probably wasn't a good one.

Neither had his father answered several calls Paul Jr. made to the apartment the night before.

Over the last decade, Paul Sr. had become the primary caretaker of his wife of 60 years, Theresa Vergakes, also 86, who was mostly bedridden with Alzheimer's disease. Theresa moved about only with great difficulty, aided by her husband and using a walker.

Minutes after Paul Vergakes Jr. and wife Karen arrived at his parents' Boston address and got no response, they located the building superintendent, who used his master key to enter the apartment. Paul and Karen said they waited anxiously outside until the superintendent emerged moments later to deliver the news.

"You just knew something was very wrong," said Paul Vergakes Jr. "The building super went in. We didn't actually see them (in the apartment). I did have to go in (to the state coroner's office) the next day and identify the bodies. It was pretty rough to see that."

The body of Paul Vergakes Sr. was discovered in a prone position in the living room.

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Theresa Vergakes' body was found on the floor of the bedroom.

Paul Vergakes and Theresa (Robbins) Vergakes, who were born in Dorchester only a week apart, on Aug. 28 and Sept. 5, 1926, had died, apparently of natural causes, within hours of each other, if not less, their only son said.

"We found them on Saturday, but they could've been dead on Friday -- we don't know yet," said Paul Jr. "The coroner was able to say my dad died first, that much he could tell. My mother did have a bump on her head, and my father did have heart problems.

"He was laying down, probably had a heart attack. Possibly what could have happened next was she got up out of bed to try to find him. Her walker was in a different part of the bedroom, and I don't think she made it to (the walker). She probably just fell right down and banged her head -- hopefully she died quickly and didn't suffer."

However, that is just his speculation, Vergakes cautioned. "We can't be sure of any of this until I get the coroner's report back."

On Wednesday, Terrel Harris, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety, could only confirm that "autopsy results for both Theresa and Paul Vergakes Sr. are pending," Harris reported.

The couple grew up attending the Boston public schools, with Paul graduating from Boston Latin High School, followed by Boston College where he received a bachelor's degree, then a master's degree in business at Rutgers University.

After his honorable discharge from serving as a lieutenant in the Navy during the Korean War, Paul and Theresa Vergakes were married on Aug. 23, 1952. For the first 24 years of marriage they resided in North Reading, where Paul served on the Board of Selectmen and Theresa was president of the Garden Club. They then moved back to Boston, where they lived for the last 30 years, in addition to owning a home in Stockton Springs, Maine.

Until their retirement, Theresa was employed as an executive secretary at Mass College of Art, Paul as vice president at Shawmut Bank.

The couple enjoyed spending time with their close-knit family, including one granddaughter, Nikki Theresa Vergakes, as well as Paul Sr.'s sister, Claire Ashe, of Jamaica Plain, and many nieces and nephews. Paul Sr. loved Boston College football, enjoyed watching CNN, and both parents were avid Red Sox fans.

His father was also a kind, loving and devoted caregiver to his mother for the last several years of their lives, Paul Jr. said.

"They were married 60 years, but we didn't have a big 60th anniversary party because my mother was too sick for stuff like that. It was just another day to them by that point in time," said Paul Jr.

The state coroner was required by law to do autopsies on both parents to determine, in part, if they committed suicide, Paul Vergakes Jr. said. "They didn't, but they have to rule it out."

His parents' wake and cremations took place last week, handled by the Dracut Funeral Home.

"They died together," Paul Jr. said. "I guess that's a sad thing, but it's also the only good thing about it."

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